Beverly



B'. conwi's'E.

Wagon Brake.

Patented 060.17, 1867.

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BEVERLY .R. GODWISE, 0F MONTROSE, MARYLAND. Letters Patent No 72,370, dated December 17, 1867. w

IMPROVED WAGON-BRAKE.

fitlp Stimuli return in iii fl es: Zillion 33mm :mt making put at lip time TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, BnvERLY R. CODWISE, ot'Montrose, in the county oi'Montgomery, and State of Maryland, have invented a'new and improved Wagon-Brake; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and correct description thereof,reference'being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part ot' this specification, in which' I A rcpresents the front axle; B, the front wheels; C, the \\'agon-hounds; D, the tongue or poletE, the brake-bar, provided 'with blocks,F F;1G,'the crank-bar, connected to the brakebar by rods 7th; K, the brakelever, connected with thecrank-barzby the rod L, a serratedcatch-plate to hold the lever K.

Thematuro of my invention consists in the combination of a brake-lever, L,'opcrating asimple sliding brake, working against the front wheels of a wagon, with the tongue of the wagon, in such manner as that it may be readily operatech by the teamster riding one of the wheel-horses of the team, without-dismounting, as hereinafter particularly described. v q

The brake which I use is of the simplest. description, constructed, in the usual manner, ot'a suitable bar,

E, supported upon the under side of the wagon-hounds O C,*in the rear of the front wheels 13 B, by means of iron strapsa a, so extended-as to allow the bar to slide horizontally therein, and bring the brake-blocks F F,

placed at either end thereof, to or from the wheels B B. Upon the front end of the bounds Q C, and in front of the head-block M of the wagon, I secure horizontally a crank-bar, G, of such a length as to project out from the hounds on either side, and having short arms at either end thereof, connected, by rods h 71, with the sliding I brake-bar E. Upon the tongue D, at a suitable distance from its inner end, I pivot vertically a lever,'K',- having its lowerand shorter arm Ki ro'ecti'n below, and its 11 per lon arm above the ton ue. This lever out either P .l c P g a Y pass through a slot cut in the tongue, and be pivoted by a transverse pin, as indicated in the drawings, in which case the metallic plates m m should be used to strengthen the tongue at thisipoint, as illustrated, or it maybe I pivoted wholly upon one side of the'tongue, suitable bands ,or clamp-plates being used to secure it. The lower end, K, of the lever is so bent forward, and at such an angle, as that, when the longarni is thrown forward, so as to lie upon the tongue, it shall still project below the tongue, as indicated by red lines in the drawing. To the lower arm K of the levhris pivoted a rod, 2', connecting it with a central CIZmk-ZLIHE,]), of the crank-bar G, in such manner as that, when the long upper arm of the lever is drawn up and pulled back,.the short arm, being thrown forward, will turn the, crank-bar, throwing its end arms also forward, thereby pulling the brakebar forward untilits blocks shall bear upon the peripheries of the wheels B B. In order to lock and secure it in this position at pleasure, a semicircular, notched ratchet-plate, L, is placed upon the tongue, by the side of the lever K, to engage with the edge of the lever, 01*, if the lever be secured on the side of the tongue, the catch-plate may be also so situated.

The operation of my improved brake is very simple. Ordinarily, the lever K will lie forward, flat down upon the tongue, as shown in red lines. A cord may be attached to its outer end, to be looped loosely upon a hook on the harness of the wheel-horseof the team, within reach of the teamster on the saddle-horse. In this position of the brake the crank-arms of the rod G are thrown back, and, consequently, the brake-bar is also pushed back in the supporting-straps, away from the wheels. When the brake is needed, the driver draws up the lever, and, catching it with his hand, may pull it back with ease,.until the brake-blocks shall be brought to bear powerfully against the wheels, and then, by engaging it with a notch in the ratchet-plate, secure it in this positiomso long as desired, and yet be enabled readily to release'it.

In this arrangement-and combination of the lever with the brakes, the lever, when not in use, is wholly out of the way. At the same time, the ordinarymoveinents of the tongue are in no manner interfered with. It admits, also, of a ready removalof the tongue, and, above all, it is very simplc in all its parts and details, and eilective in its operation. z t

Havingthns fully described its construction and operation, I claim as new, in this my improvement in brakes p I i I The combination and arrangement of the lever K with the tongue of a wagon, a ratchet or catch-plate thereon, a sliding brake-bar and brakes, operating against the front wheels of the wagon, and an intermediate crank, having suitable connecting-rods, all substantially as and for thepurpoee herein set forth.

The foregoing specification of my improved brake signed by me, this 12th day of October, 1867.

' 13. R. UODWISE.

Witnesses:

Eon. F. BROWN. J on. LonMAN. 

